This invention relates to a disk-shaped object of synthetic thermoplastic material and to a method for producing the same.
Disk-shaped objects are employed, for example, as an intermediate between structural parts to seal them off from one another and/or connect them adhesively to one another. Examples of such applications are disclosed in GB 2,067,253 A and EP 0,504,957 A2. In these applications, a disk-shaped object is arranged between parts to be connected and then brought into a flowable state by heating, so that the disk-shaped object will adhesively connect the two parts to one another and possibly penetrate gaps between the parts to seal them tight.
In the production and assembly of disk-shaped objects of the kind specified, various problems have arisen. The objects have been difficult to remove from the recess of a molding tool. Objects of annular shape especially have also exhibited a marked ill-defined warping and shrinking behavior, so that prescribed dimensions have failed to be reliably attained. Furthermore, individual objects when transported in bulk have tended to stick together, interfering considerably with individual use, especially in automatic assembly. Experiments with a suitable liquid as parting agent, to prevent the individual objects from sticking together, have failed to yield satisfactory results.